Antimicrobial substance, method for producing same, and antimicrobial material

Abstract

Provided an antimicrobial substance that includes a base material layer, and a copper-tin alloy layer 5-200 nm in thickness disposed on the base material layer, the copper-tin alloy layer containing copper in an amount of more than 60 atomic percent but not more than 90 atomic percent, and containing tin in an amount of not less than 10 atomic percent but less than 40 atomic percent. The copper-tin alloy layer includes a Cu 41 Sn 11 crystalline phase, and a Cu 3 Sn crystalline phase. The Q value (Ω/(nm·Cu atomic percent)), which is derived by dividing the sheet resistance (Ω) of the copper-tin alloy layer by the thickness of the copper-tin alloy layer and the copper content (Cu atomic percent), is 1.5×10 −4 -6.0×10 −4 .

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An antimicrobial raw material comprising:
 a substrate layer; and 
 a copper-tin alloy layer disposed on the substrate layer, the copper-tin alloy layer containing over 60 atomic % to 90 atomic % of copper and 10 atomic % to less than 40 atomic % of tin, wherein 
 the copper-tin alloy layer comprises a Cu 41 Sn 11  crystalline phase and a Cu 3 Sn crystalline phase; and 
 a Q value (Ω/(nm·Cu atomic %)) obtained by dividing a sheet resistance (Ω) of the copper-tin alloy layer by a product of a thickness of the copper-tin alloy layer and a copper content (Cu atomic %) in the copper-tin alloy layer is 1.5×10 −4  to 6.0×10 −4 . 
 
     
     
       2. The antimicrobial raw material according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate layer is made of resin, natural fiber or paper, the resin, natural fiber or paper having a temperature under load of 115° C. or below as measured in accordance with ASTM-D648-56 under a load of 1,820 kPa. 
     
     
       3. The antimicrobial raw material according to  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the Cu 41 Sn 11  crystalline phase to the Cu 3 Sn crystalline phase in the copper-tin alloy layer, Cu 41 Sn 11 /Cu 3 Sn, is 0.002 to 0.040. 
     
     
       4. The antimicrobial raw material according to  claim 1 , wherein a surface roughness Rz of a surface of the copper-tin alloy layer, the surface being remote from the substrate layer, is 14.4 to 15.9 nm. 
     
     
       5. The antimicrobial raw material according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate layer is made of polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene, or polyimide. 
     
     
       6. The antimicrobial raw material according to  claim 1 , wherein the copper-tin alloy layer is formed by simultaneous vapor deposition using an evaporation source composed of a copper-tin alloy containing over 60 atomic % to 85 atomic % of copper and 15 atom % to less than 40 atom % of tin. 
     
     
       7. The antimicrobial raw material according to  claim 1 , wherein the copper-tin alloy layer covers the entire or part of an outermost surface of the antimicrobial raw material. 
     
     
       8. The antimicrobial raw material according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate layer is a nonwoven fabric, woven fabric or yarn. 
     
     
       9. A method of producing the antimicrobial raw material according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing an evaporation source composed of a copper-tin alloy containing over 60 atomic % to 85 atomic % of copper and 15 atom % to less than 40 atom % of tin; 
 heating a substrate disposed so as to face the evaporation source; and 
 allowing a metal vapor, generated by gasifying the copper-tin alloy from the evaporation source, to contact the substrate heated to form thereon a copper-tin alloy layer. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of producing the antimicrobial raw material according to  claim 9 , wherein the heating of the substrate brings a temperature of the substrate to 100 to 125° C. 
     
     
       11. The method of producing the antimicrobial raw material according to  claim 9 , wherein the substrate is made of resin, natural fiber or paper, the resin, natural fiber or paper having a deflection temperature under load of 115° C. or below as measured in accordance with ASTM-D648-56 under a load of 1,820 kPa. 
     
     
       12. An antimicrobial material comprising the antimicrobial raw material according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       13. The antimicrobial material according to  claim 12 , wherein the antimicrobial material is used as a touch panel protection film. 
     
     
       14. The antimicrobial material according to  claim 12 , wherein the antimicrobial material is used as medical material. 
     
     
       15. The antimicrobial material according to  claim 12 , wherein the antimicrobial material is used as purification material.